Temperature control dial for electric irons



Oct. 14, 1952 J. E. VANCE TEMPERATURE CONTROL DIAL FOR ELECTRIC IRONS Filed June 16, 1947 Fig.1

Fig. 2

INVEN TOR. John E. Vance BY M ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 14, 1952 TEMPERATURE CONTROL .DIAL LEOR EDEGTRIC IRONS.

JohnE. Vance, North Canton; Ohioyassignor-to- The Hoover Company," North Canton, hio,--.ai..

corporation .ofLOliio Application Jone-16, 1947,,S'erial No. 75.4;82'7' The present invention. relates; in general to electricirons and more. particularly, to an arrangement of a temperature; control dialion an electric iron..

An object of "the invention is to provide a new and improved electric iron. Another object-is to provide an electric iron having a temperature control dial disposed between the handle and the body of the iron. A further object is to provide a temperature control dial supported by the handle and the body of the iron. Another object is to provide stabilizing means for the temperature control dial. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a section along the line of Figure 2; and

Figure 2 is a section along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

The embodiment of the invention herein disclosed comprises a body It including a sole plate II, a cover shell l2 and a cooling fin l3, the latter being spaced from the top wall l4 of the cover shell l2. Within the cover shell I2 is an unshown heating element and a thermostat device having a rotatable shaft l5 projecting upwardly through the cover shell l2 and cooling fin l3 in a manner well known in the art.

A handle I! formed of insulation material includes a hand grip l8 spaced from the cooling fin I3 by supporting legs I!) and 20 which are suitably attached to the body it. Formed integrally with the handle supporting legs l9 and 2|] is a handle base or heat baffle 2| which extends completely between the handle legs l9 and 2D and together with the latter overlies substantially the entire area of the cooling fin l3. The handle base 2| is recessed from the cooling fin I3 to form an opening 23 for the reception of a temperature control dial 24 for operating the shaft l5 of the thermostat.

The control dial 24 includes a peripheral ring 25 provided along its vertical outer wall with spaced ribs 26 for receiving theoperators fingers to rotate the dial 24. The inner periphery of the ring 25 has a projecting annular rib 21 which forms annular shoulders 28 and 29 with the ring 25. Mounted on one side of the rib 21 in the annular shoulder 28 is a metal disk 38, and another metal disk 3| rests upon the rib 21 in the annular shoulder 29. The disks 3|] and 3| are spaced apart by the annular rib 21 and radially inwardly therefrom are joined together at 32 to form a double walled portion which is secured to a sleeve 33 by staking the latter as indicated at 34. The dial sleeve 33 1s"non-rotatably--'atta'ched to the shaft l5 of thethermostat' by providing thesleeve 33 and the shaft |5 with complementaryfiat surfaces 35 which permit'lineardisplacement of the controldial 24 relative to the thermostat shaft I 5'when thelatter 'is rotated by the dial 24 todifferent ironing" temperatures. The handle base 2-| above thedial' sleeve== 33 retains the latter on thermostat shaft l5 and limits the linear displacement of the sleeve 33 with respect to the shaft [5.

A stabilizing device to prevent vibration of the dial 24 during its rotation includes a plurality of spring fingers 4ll'stamped out of the disk 30, and spring fingers 4| are stamped from the disk 3|. The fingers 40 press against the inner surface 42 of the handle base, while the fingers 4| press against the top surface 43 of the cooling fin l3, to thereby stabilize the outer ring 25 of the dial when the latter is rotated to d iiferent positions and limit linear displacement of the dial with respect to the handle and iron body.

Inscribed on the top surface of the ring 25 are the names of the materials to be ironed, and the proper ironing temperature for these materials is obtained by registering with an arrow 44 on the handle base 2|. In order to easily observe the names of the materials on the dial 24, the handle base 2| is cut away to provide diametrically opposed openings 45 and 46 above the dial. The openings 45 and 46 also expose the ribs 26 on the dial so that the operator can optionally rotate the dial by engaging the ribs 26 exposed in either of the openings 45 and 4B.

In assembling the dial, the sleeve 33 is mounted on the thermostat shaft IS with the complementary fiat surfaces 35 abutting each other, and thereafter the handle I! is suitably attached to the iron body In and as a result the handle base 2| overlies the sleeve 33 and dial 24 and prevents v axial displacement of the dial from the thermostat shaft l5. When adjusting the dial for the material to be ironed the operator has the option of placing his fingers in either of the openings 45 and 46 to rotate the dial. The spring fingers 40 and 4| which are respectively urged against the handle base 2| and cooling fin l3 stabilize the dial, and when the operator exerts pressure on the dial, the latter is not tilted but rotates in one plane.

I claim:

1. In an iron, an iron body, cover means spaced from said body to form a chamber therebetween, a temperature control dial movably disposed in said chamber for adjusting a thermostat, said temperature control dial including a peripheral ring having indicia thereon for the materials to be ironed, means connecting said peripheral ring to said thermostat, and stabilizing means projecting from said connecting means into engagement with said iron body and said cover means to stabilize said peripheral ring when the operator exerts a force thereon to adjust said thermostat.

2. In an iron, an iron body, cover means spaced from said iron body to form a chamber therebetween, a thermostat in said body and projecting into said chamber, a temperature control dial disposed in said chamber, means slidably connecting said control dial to said thermostat, and means projecting from the opposite sides of said dial and engaging said iron body and cover means to prevent linear movement of said dial with respect to said cover means and iron body during reciprocal movement of said thermostat when the latter is adjusted by said control'dial.

3. In an iron, an iron body, cover means spaced from said body to form a chamber therebetween, a thermostat in said body and having a shaft projecting into said chamber, a temperature control dial in said chamber and including an outer peripheral ring member having indicia for materials to be ironed, a sleeve slidably mounted on 4 said shaft, spaced members attached to said peripheral ring and to said sleeve, said spaced members formed with outwardly projecting members engaging said iron body and cover means to prevent linear displacement of said dial during reciprocal movement of said shaft when said dial is adjusted to difierent temperatures.

JOHN E. VANCE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,252,487 Bevill Aug. 12, 1941 2,279,731 Braun Apr. 14, 1942 2,325,377 Dickie July 27, 1943 2,350,733 Drotning June 6, 1944 2,353,151 Elsenheimer July 11, 1944 2,418,285 Witzel Apr. 1, 1947 2,462,942 Busch et al. Mar. 1, 1949 2,485,955 Busch Oct. 25, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date Great Britain Nov. 18, 1938 

